pato azulón
/pato aθulon/from spelling rules
The English phrase mallard duck is translated into Spanish as pato azulón.
The term refers to a species of wild duck recognized by the male's iridescent green head. You may also encounter the term ánade real, which is a more technical or ornithological synonym for the mallard duck.
Which one should you use?
ánade real is a more technical or ornithological synonym for the mallard duck.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form pata is used when referring to a female mallard duck.
How do you pronounce it?
/pato aθulon/
Did you know?
- While pato means 'duck', the Spanish phrase pagar el pato means 'to take the blame' for something you did not do. It is similar to the English expression 'to be the scapegoat'.
- The word pato has a surprising etymological journey, tracing back through Andalusian Arabic to the Persian word bat for 'duck'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, pato is used as a slang term for a homosexual man.
Examples in context
- Vimos un pato azulón en el estanque.We saw a mallard duck in the pond.
- El pato azulón tiene la cabeza verde.The mallard duck has a green head.
- Ese pato azulón es muy hermoso.That mallard duck is very beautiful.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are watching birds at a local park.
- Lucía¿Ves a ese pato azulón cerca de la orilla?Do you see that mallard duck near the shore?
- MateoSí, es el que tiene la cabeza brillante.Yes, it is the one with the shiny head.
- LucíaEs un ejemplar de pato azulón muy bonito.It is a very pretty specimen of a mallard duck.
- MateoMe encanta observar la naturaleza aquí.I love observing nature here.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries azulón, pato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
